It is sad but true, bath salts have a genuine use for the body interested in health and wellness; but, bath salts are now being misused as a drug to achieve some sort of a high. Bath salts are generally used as a body soak and exfoliant. When used in this way, true bath salts (typically epsom salts mixed with fragrance beads and water softening agents) are a balm to achy muscles and dry skin. These are not dangerous!

However, there are products being labeled as “bath salts” that are powders packed in small tea bag sized envelopes and advertised as legal substitutions; merely to make money. They are being sold on the shelves of convience stores, truck stops and head shops all around the country; as well as online. They are marketed as bath salts, when those who produce these products know full well that they are not being used for that purpose.

Those who produce, market or sell these items should be held accountable for those who have had their lives destroyed by their products. Their intended use is for individuals who are looking for a drug induced high. Business selling them should be forced to removed them from their stores in my opinion. In fact, some states & communities are banning their sales…but, we need to increase awareness of this issue; before the use of these products becomes more widespread. Continue reading: Write Where You Are

There is a debate brewing about whether news media should have access to photograph the coffins of returning military men and women, killed in the line of duty, when their bodies are returned to Dover Air Force Base. There is strong controversy about whether this should be allowed or not. In 1991, President George H. Bush enacted a ban on the photographing of the coffins. It just was not allowed to happen, by the order of the President.

This has been a matter of contention. Some people believe that allowing the photographs could make an impact on the minds of the citizens of the United States as to the cost of war; as the death toll rises from the wars in recent years. There are many who feel that by not seeing the evidence of the coffins, people would not understand the depths of the sacrifice that our service persons were making. In effect, out of sight…out of mind. (more…)

Breaking news of a horrific nature…Australia has been experiencing some terrible fires, overnight, that has caused major damage to some towns and at least 84 deaths. Although that number may continue to climb as they gain control of the brush fires. There are many who were hospitalized with burns and some of them may yet lose their lives because of their injuries. This is the deadliest wildfire that Australia has ever had. The areas that have been the most impacted were in the southeastern area of Australia; as well as towns about 50 miles north and east of the capital, Melbourne.

People have lost their homes, their livelihoods in some cases and many have lost their loved ones or their own lives. Some people were killed in the fires as they tried to escape in their vehicles. This is horrible; it is suspected that some of these fires were deliberately set. If that is true; it is a crime, the murders of innocent people are on the hands of those who set these fires. It is unfathamable why anyone would wish to do such harm. The firefighters are bravely trying to fight the fires, which may take days to control. I pray that God help the Australians by bringing some rain and helping the firefighters to gain control and help the people of Australia as they cope with their losses.

Ok, ready for some more, I can’t believe it…what were they thinking kind of blog post? It is better to give than to receive (as long as you are going to KEEP receiving bailout money). Outrageous news reports of an alledged 12 day trip to Vegas for the top employees for Wells Fargo & Company.

In the past years, this has been an alleged tradition of all expenses paid which included many different extravagant perks such as helicopter rides, private concerts, food and entertainment…etc. While companies are made to look good to their employees by giving away so much; to the rest of us…the companies who do this kind of thing are making a mockery out of the purpose of the bailout money for those companies who have been failing to be financially responsible.

How can these corporations, banks and such that have been receiving bailout money from taxpayers still be so blind? Can they not understand the depths of the resentment of the American people for this financial chaos that we have all been plunged into? Surely, if these behaviors continue…they will go out of business and deservedly so.

The thing is…today’s news of the 12 day planned trip was defended by the company…until there was an uproar and they cancelled the trip. If that is what it takes, to prevent further financial misuse of the bailout funds, negative peer pressure and pressure from the media, to change their behaviors; then, we are just going to have to be more vocal when we are made aware of an abuse of the American’s financial investment in their companies.

Let the other industry leaders be forewarned…American tax payers are fed up with the mess that has been made. I think those at the top of the companies that have received bailout money should be legally responsible for any misuse of those funds. Let’s see some accountability here by our leaders!

Today is a day to remember, it is the 64th anniversary of the liberation of the Jewish people from the concentration camp Auschwitz. It was a day of relief and a day of sadness. Sadness for those who’s lives were lost before they could be rescued…and a day of relief for those who were still alive and had a chance for survival. People want to forget the horrors of the concentration camps…or worse, they deny that it ever existed. The prisoners at the concentration camps were there because of hatred; they were feared and they were hated just because of their heritage. There is no excuse for genocide.

If we are allowed to forget the horror of such evil…it could happen again. If we deny that it ever existed then we are guilty of adding to the evil that took place and destroyed so many people. It is a time of world history that must be observed.

There are some who were there that still have memories of that time. There are some who have loved ones who went through the extreme torture that was the concentration camps. No group of human beings should ever be treated the way that the Jews were treated. We lost so many people that could have added culture, music, craftmanship, business accumen…and so much more to the world. It was and is a tragedy the likes of which we should hope to never see again.

Think about the suffering and the misery that they went through. The fear that consumed the soul. Yet, there were those who resisted, those who aided others by sharing what they had to keep others alive, there were those who tried to hide individuals and help them escape the power of the SS. The word hero is thrown around so often that people misunderstand the courage that it takes to stand strong in the face of evil, and destructive controlling power.

The human spirit is an amazing thing; the will to survive is amazing and can overcome many obstacles. There are many individual stories from the holocaust and it is important to document them when you have the opportunity. I posted an earlier story in this blog about Dina Gottliebova Babbitt, a talented artist who was incarcerated at Auschwitz. She was forced to use her talent to paint individuals and gypsies from the concentration camp for Dr. Josef Mengeles the angel of death who performed terrible “experiments” on those behind the gates.

You can read about her and her efforts to get her artwork returned to her before she passes from this world into the next here: https://writeasrain.wordpress.com/?s=dina+babbit . Do you know any stories of the survivors of the concentration camps?

Each time that new information is announced regarding the Caylee Anthony case; it is more heartbreaking than the last released information. Caylee Anthony, for those who don’t know, or don’t remember, is the young 2 year old child who was missing for months ; before her mother, Casey Anthony, was jailed for lying to the police about her diappearance. Caylee was murdered and that murder was covered up. Someone didn’t want the secret of the murdered child Caylee to be known…it is as if, by hiding her body and duct taping her mouth, they were saying; Caylee don’t tell.

The new information being released to the public states that Caylee was found inside of a laundry bag, which was placed inside of a plastic bag and dumped in a wooded area not far from where she lived with her mother and grandparents.

Inside of those bags, was a winnie the pooh blanket, pull ups, a knife, a backpack that said adorable and Caylee’s body. She had duct tape over her mouth that also had residue from a sticker that was heart shaped. The duct tape went over her mouth and was stuck in her hair as well.

Her mouth was duct taped people! The psychological implications of that is terrible. It says alot. It says, to me, that she was murdered by someone that she knew…someone that she could tell others about. Someone who was suposed to care about her, ie: the heart sticker, the comfort items such as the winnie the pooh blanket, pull ups, and her backpack, put her inside of those bags and left her with items that would, in other circumstances, bring her comfort. Then they put a heart sticker on the duct tape that covered her mouth?

What conflicting information does this give us about the person who killed a two year old child? Did they love her or didn’t they? How could they murder her and leave her body laying about like a bag of garbage to be disposed of? Who knows what; and, why didn’t they tell what they knew?

In the end, forensic testing is going to tell us alot about what happened to Caylee. I think between the evidence found at the site where her body was found as well as the evidence taken from the Anthony home will reveal alot. The computers that family and friends of Caylee use will reveal more information…maybe enough to piece together what really happened to this beautiful child who would have turned three that summer. It is nothing but sadness…because this case does not have a happy ending…Caylee is gone…and so far, her murderer is not known without a doubt.

Ok…this is seriously outrageous. Little Caylee Anthony, who was murdered in Florida, is the focus of an important court motion. It is shameful that not only was the 2 year old murdered and thrown away, like an animal left on the side of the road after being hit. However, it gets even worse because, there are “people” who are trying to get access to the pictures of the photographs of Caylee’s remains. Matter of a fact, Caylee’s killer showed less respect for her life, than most people do when they hit an animal, accidently, while driving down the road.

Prosecutors in the legal case are allegedly asking the judge to put restrictions on the photographs of Caylee’s remains. There are photographs on disk that are allegedly being given to the lawyer representing Caylee’s mother for the case. However, reports say that big time media have paid money to get licensing rights to photographs and videos of little Caylee when she was alive. Any kind of pictures would be of interest to those who wish to bring viewers a new picture before it gets in the hands of a competitor. Prosecutors want to pre-empt any possible attempt of improper use of the photographs that will be used as evidence in the case; that is just common sense. They need to safeguard the process of the legal system, so that justice can be served without jepardizing the outcome of the case by the misuse of the evidence.

This should just be a matter of common sense…however, there are those who will push the envelope of decency. Just earlier this past week…a gentleman who was skiing had an unfortunate incident on a ski lift and was suspended upside down, his pants and underclothing yanked off of his body, and pulled down to his ankles. Here he was, hanging upside down…naked from the waist down to his feet…and, people actually took pictures and posted them on the internet. It appears that people truly do not care about decency or respect of another person’s misery. In Caylee’s situation, she is not alive to be humiliated or saddened; however, she had family, friends and neighbors who are horrified by the idea of having pictures of Caylee’s remains published and put on display; for money, or for ratings.

It is outrageous that these types of legal measures even have to be considered. Caylee was a victim of murder. She was tossed away and hidden. She was not buried in any semblence of respect or caring. She was offered no dignity in death. She was a little girl who deserved to live; but, because someone stole her life from her, she was not protected from this further indignity.

I hope that the courts impose very strict guidelines regarding how these sad photographs can be used. I think that anyone who makes money off of photographs or video’s of the young child should be ashamed of themselves. Even the pictures of a happy, living, breathing Caylee only seem to underscore the horror of the knowledge that she died too young and in a horrible way. Programs that would use the videos and pictures to build stories around, are to me, another assault on the memory of Caylee.

People all around the nation have gazed upon the pictures that are already out there of her. We know in our hearts and minds that an innocent 2 year old child should be remembered as just that, an innocent 2 year old child. She should not be remembered as she was left in the woods. Her short life should not be marketed for a news program or an entertainment program. She doesn’t have to be humanized for the masses…because we all know and love other children her age; it isn’t hard to imagine what she was like.

I don’t think we have heard the last of things in this case that will offend us, outrage us, sadden us, or just plain disappoint us in the condition of our culture’s humanity levels; do you?